It’s not a question any of us were thinking about when the NGP trip to Bahia in Brazil was first planned. The event, looking at land-use challenges and opportunities in the south of the state, was supposed to feature NGP’s usual mix of hands-on field visits and intense group discussion. Participants from around the world would have the opportunity to visit community agroforestry projects, see how pulp and paper companies Veracel and Suzano are supporting local development while conserving and restoring the Atlantic rainforest, and learn from Fórum Florestal da Bahia’s (FFBA; Bahia Forests Dialogue) 15 years of experience in discussing and resolving land-use conflicts.
But as Covid-19 spread across the globe and travel restrictions were introduced, ideas had to change. At first, the idea was to have a mix of real and virtual elements. A limited number of local participants could attend in person, with international audiences following livestreamed field visits and joining in discussions via video conferencing. But as the crisis worsened in Brazil, it became clear that any sort of travel was no longer an option.
“We didn’t want to postpone,” says Marcio Braga from FFBA. “If it had to be in a virtual situation, then we’d go with that. We thought it would be simple enough – we’re used to Zoom meetings. Though it turned out to be a bit more complicated than that.”
